IX. 
The Fiji of To-day. 
Since the date of the publication of the whole Bible in the 
native tongue, other parts of Fiji have been Christianized. 
Lack of English missionaries prevented the rapid spread of 
Christianity over the whole land, and for many years, reports 
came home of horrible cannibalism, and savage heathenism 
still rampant among those natives who had not been blessed 
with Gospel instruction. Nandy, Mbau, Rotumah, and 
other places, were not only nominally, but really heathen, at 
a very recent date. Even so lately as 1867, ^ ^^^^ murder 
was committed near the town of Nassova, on a missionary 
and some native teachers who accompanied him on an 
evangelistic tour. Since then, however, Christian truth has 
spread very eagerly; suitable works for the natives, such 
as " Pilgrim's Progress," hymn-books, school-books of var- 
ious kinds, a " System of Theology," and various editions of 
the completed Scriptures, have been supplied from both the 
colonial, and mission presses. Native teachers have been 
supported most willingly, not only by native Churches, but 
by those who have not yet been gathered into Churches, in 
order to secure the presence of an instructor in those things 
which to the newly- awakened native, are "strange, yet true." 
As the people become familiar with reading, they call for 
other mental food, and this demand has been met by the 
issue of a Commentary on the New Testament, Chronological 
Tables of Bible history, and advanced lesson-books. 
